Starting in June, parking meter hours will be extended in Downtown Tucson, the Mercado, and Main Gate Square/University districts.
The new paid parking hours will be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Before, it was only until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The change comes after Park Tucson–the division responsible for operating and maintaining metered parking in downtown–proposed the extension to business owners, residents, and visitors last October. The new hours are meant to increase on-street parking availability for visitors.
“On-street parking is a critical resource for supporting retailers and other businesses because it is usually the most convenient parking option for retail customers and employees,” a city website reads, explaining why hours should be extended.
Park Tucson says, as it still recovers from financial losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the additional revenues will be reinvested into its services to enhance safety, security and facilities.
The Fourth Avenue district will not be impacted by the new hours due to construction. But hours for that district will be reviewed and potentially modified if needed after construction is complete.
Parking rates will remain the same at $1 an hour with time limits up to six hours.
